The other day I was listening to FM Radio when I heard an ad that Lionel Messi has endorsed an Indian brand called Tata Motors. I suddenly remembered my school days where I would go every early morning for football practice with some more classmates and all of us were and still are crazy football fans. I was in a girls convent school (Carmel Of St. Joseph,Mumbai) where football players were a topic of discussion almost everyday for girls from my gang(not an aggressive gang). While most of them wore jerseys bearing Ronaldo,Ronaldinho , Rooney, Neymar, Thierry Henry, I wore a custom made jersey bearing the name- “Messi Mel” haha 😛 My mom would always tell me that she liked how I am so open about being a “messy girl” when it came to organizing my life. 😛 She didn’t get the pun in the name & I have never ever explained it to her.

No Explanation ? SOURCE WWW.REDDIT.COM

As I am writing this post, I so badly miss those days where getting injured(Remember We Were Girls Only – Seen WWF female? ) was actually the reason I would play more fiercely only to sit at home for the next few days and claim my “sports quota” for attendance. Yes I would be get injured a lot but being a girl lost in love with Football I would never slow down. I remember I once played with a swollen face after being hit by those spiked football shoes. Sounds crazy for a girl who cries on missing out on every sale right ?

Some years ago someone uploaded our crazy football girls school pic on FaceBook . I am sitting right next to my principal on the right with a monkey face 😛

So moving on with today’s post, Lionel Messi is widely believed to be the best football player ever.Recently, the Argentine helped his team to a historic treble winning season in which he scored a total of 58 goals in 57 appearances. Lionel Messi apart from Cristiano Ronaldo has won 4 back to back Ballon D’Or awards between 2009 and 2012, soccer’s highest global honour and will be a brand ambassador for Tata Motors.

Announcing the association, Mr. Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, said, “We are very excited to have Lionel Messi on board. He is talent galore with conviction & is an icon for today’s youth. Watching him play football is magical. His determination on the field is awe-inspiring.”

Lionel Messi – The Brand Ambassador of Tata Motors

Tata Motors will be doing events in experiential marketing with Lionel Messi. The campaign #madeofgreat debuted on TV screens on November 3, 2015, followed by Digital and Outdoor campaigns. Tata Motors has partnered with leading events agency, Wizcraft to take this campaign to the next level with an all-new exciting on-ground multi-city activation.The on-ground activation started on 9th November 2015 as per my knowledge, will further build on the #madeofgreat campaign and allow the public to engage with their favorite football star at many levels. Backed by radio, including RJs on-ground, the objective is to reach out to the millions of Lionel Messi fans across India and give them a never before opportunity to connect with the maverick footballer.

An augmented reality app has been specially created to allow young and old alike to get a snap clicked with Lionel Messi, along with an opportunity to record a video message on the spot welcoming him to the country. All of this would be a part of the larger digital engagement showcasing the scale and width of the #madeofgreat campaign, which is sure to make the experience a truly exciting one.

Today I went to Infinity Mall, Mumbai to try out this reality app and I’ve got to say I am impressed. All this was taking place on the first floor of the mall where people were made to pose with a football and with the help of the reality app, a pic would develop with Lionel Messi.It was just like standing in front of a greenscreen only to add effects later but here the background was blue and the process took hardly few seconds. And that’s where the magic was created. It was printed and framed on the spot as shown below. Many Messi fans got an opportunity of a lifetime. My dad too clicked a picture and it was good enough. Guys I think this will be happening from the 12th to 15th November 2015. So hurry up and see the magic 🙂

Pic using the reality app at Infinity Malad. And That’s Me 🙂

As one of the India’s leading companies, TATA has become synonymous with trust and authenticity and TATA Motors has carried forward the same legacy over all these years. Wizcraft has been working closely with TATA Motors in successfully launching their next generation series of passenger vehicles including the Zest, Bolt and GenX Nano, ensuring that all investors & users, including media and consumers, are activated. Starting this month, Wizcraft will execute several on-ground events and experiential activations till March 2016 to make sure the right buzz is created about the path-breaking offerings.(PS:- All this info is researched upon and is 99% accurate)

CreditsMESSITHEHUMBLE.TUMBLR.COM

As a brand, TATA Motors focuses on reliability, excellence and a commitment to innovation and Messi’s story of overcoming hurdles to reach the pinnacle of success is a reflection of TATA Motors’ own journey and their undeterred will to up the passenger vehicle industry.

While researching about this Hot topic I came across a video on YouTube by Tata Motors. It is a truly inspirational. Those 40 seconds of watchtime made me realize that I too have come out of many hurdles in life and followed my dream profession ie to be an IT Engineer with a passion for Blogging. Do watch it guys and feel inspired like never before. After watching this I felt the need to share with all of you a true story which has always been the reason I never give up in life.

Here’s the video which Tata Motors posted on its facebook page describing the ‘#madeofgreat’ partnership between the company and the player.

When it comes to Leo Messi most of us know his story and the struggles he faced just to become the icon he is today.He was diagnosed with a growth -hormone deficiency which made him injury prone early in his career. Success comes to those who stand up against hurdles rather than escaping it. He also won 2 goals in a span of 10 minutes of a match with an injured cheek bone which has been promptly noted as his dedication to his career.

So here is the real reason I never give up/What Keeps Me inspired:-

We all have certain moments in life when our perspective about something completely changes. Such experiences are so impactful that you are bound to reconstruct some major pillars of your life.

(PLEASE NOTE :- I am not a very holy person and neither I am a fanatic when its comes to religion. I am not one of those who insanely post about religion all the time. 🙂 :))

Like an ordinary human I loose hope at the beat of any impossible task but I get back way stronger than before. There is a reason for this inspiration. If you have read my post about ending my blogging career you will understand how low I felt after some major changes in my life recently where I took a break and came back with a refreshed mind and spirit…the following facts are the reason..

In the year 2010 I had just begun my Junior College(Science Stream) . At that point I had serious personality issues as well as issues with low self esteem. I had this weird mindset that I suck no matter what I do in life.I used to find myself ugly(Yes It’s true) and I had also been though with my first heartbreak(having a crush on a guy who’s already dating is heartbreaking)

Typical Teenage tantrums *

I also had very few friends to begin with and no best friends at all. Like any ordinary teenager I would throw tantrums and be upset when I would never get something. My parents are simple and very understanding but you see when you are young (BDW I am still young but in this I will be writing like I am 50 ) you want everything you cannot get. At that time I was also very cranky and would take most things negatively(typical teenage tantrums). Also at many occasions I gave up on most things I am good at (eg:- sports events, drama events, dance etc). All these were caused by my thoughts which apparently were fighting emotions over petty things like “why do I exist” , “why did I choose science as a career ? ” , “why do some people exist?”, “why didn’t God make ushermaphrodite so that heartbreaking love wouldn’t exist !!” and bla-bla.

😦

I envied others and felt as if the whole world is happy and that it was only me who had happiness missing in my life . I thought why God always forgets to shower his blessings on me. With these negative thoughts in mind, I used to remain sad and depressed. ”neither, I had an LCD, nor a branded car”, I used to curse my fate. When I wasn’t having a computer, I wished to have it. When I got it, I started wishing for a laptop. In all, I started leading a melancholic life and was never satisfied with what I had.

No Aim whatsoever…*

During that time I was taking Confirmation through my parish church. If you are a Catholic you will understand this if not there is always wikipedia HERE. Or let’s just skip it and read on. At that time we had our Parish Priest Fr Larry Pereira who expired on 14th January in the year 2013 due to an illness. It came as a shock to me since I was personally counseled by him as a process of Confirmation. He was one of the reasons I ended up choosing my dream career of being an Engineer.

Lt. Fr Larry

It all began with the counselling session where for the first time I met Father Larry and we began talking all about “Me“. My teenage tantrums and frustration were clearly visible but unlike those long speeches all elders make, Father Larry asked me to join a few other youth volunteers on a trip to Talasari. It was nearly Christmas so I decided to go and spend one day trying to figure out what’s really in store for me. There are many ongoing activities in Talasari conducted by the Church to help the needy and poor. Also they have many orphanages in and around the area. Father Larry was a constant supporter and volunteer and many tribals knew him as God-gifted soul. The moment we reached an orphanage in that area, we were greeted by many small kids around the age of 5-6. All of them had one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. They were so happy to see new faces, I was hugged by a little girl who also had one of the brightest smiles. While inside the orphanage I saw many more children who were in the hallway and were mainly busy doing various forms of arts & crafts. Some older orphans were busy cooking. The whole scenario was sad and made me think how beautiful children are and the thought they are all alone(without parents) in this world left me even more sadder. These children have never owned a laptop or an Ipad but they seemed much happier than an average child like me(at that time). They did not have the most expensive craft accessories but they managed. I remember how they used rice for glue. Also I felt they were much more sharing and caring towards each other compared to us children who have everything but are rarely willing to share. They also did not get the best of meals like burgers and pizzas but they accepted the food they got itself as a privilege. Spending a day with them and listening to personal stories was so heartbreaking. I almost had a breakdown and wanted to cry real bad for taking my life for granted. Some things are so sad especially poverty in India.Having a roof to stay in and a 3- course meal served by wonderful parents is one of the biggest blessings I have received.

Most of the kids in that orphanage aspired to be doctors and engineers, it was sad to know that I once had the same aspiration but wanted to give it up just because I did not get a Laptop 😦 This sounds so vague when compared to what half the people in the world are suffering from. I felt really ashamed internally for being so adamant about wanting to live a perfect life when everything I had was perfect for me. After a long day witnessing their lives, Fr Larry took us to some nearby homes that were stricken by poverty. We visited 3 homes that day. They were basically tribal people who were living in shanties without electricity but just a small bulb that sufficed the need of light for the entire road leading to their homes. Fr Larry was in-charge of one the schools opened there for the poor children. The tribal people had no proper food or electricity. This was much sadder when compared to the orphanage. While in conversation with one of the tribal residents I was almost so emotional that I could not clearly hear what he said but I did hear that he sends his kids daily to school. I was glad to hear this. At this moment I realized that even though they never had the best in life, they made the most of everything they had. On the way back home, I was heart shaken and even spoke to Fr. Larry about this. He told me that he wanted me to witness this by myself. If it wasn’t for that day, I would have been a spoiled brat with no aim in life at all taking .A day I will never forget in my life ever. All thanks to Fr. Larry, a true gentle human being.

*That Emo Feeling 😦

Years came and went and I attended many more such places , one was a cancer centre and another was a mental asylum both in Mumbai. The experiences of these places are too emotional to write about hence I will not disclose it in details or I may just break down and cry. I just want to tell you that standing in those places amongst those affected by major illnesses and defects is just too sad. I have seen people younger than me at the cancer center battling for life. It really breaks me knowing that they know they are going to die maybe in some days, weeks , months or years. And then there is “Me” who thought life was hell before I witnessed the above.

That day , the faces I saw & the aspiration people had is a vital part of my memory that keeps flashing back every time I loose hope. Those people never gave up no matter the struggle. We tend to take the things we get too lightly and at some point we find life unsatisfactory.

Fr. Larry was a humble being who died at an unusual circumstance due to an illness.

Important Things I learnt From Fr. Larry Perreira ever since I met him are….

Only in the darkness, you are able to see the stars.

Be yourself, no matter what others think. You have to live your life, not they.

The condition of the HEART depends on the MIND.

Those high on FAITH will never be low on HOPE.

Train your mind to see the good and positive in every situation.

You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself.

Always do your best.

Jealousy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can’t.

There have been many instances where Late Fr. Larry was an inspiration to many youth like my friends as well. He will always be a special memory in my life through its course and turns. RIP Fr. Larry. Will always remember how you taught me to think differently. Later in the coming years I visited talasari again for some more social causes. And that’s how Melina became an IT ENGINEER……

Happiness come from gratitude in your attitude. Wanting things is like a never ending wish list that keeps increasing as life moves on. Think about it , last year you may have been unhappy about not having something, look at yourself now are you unhappy about something else ? Reflect and think and this is where my story ends……….THE END.

Okay So that was my story , Now for the giveaway,(If you are a Messi Fan, Please enter 🙂 )

Giveaway Rules:-

Prize:- Amazon Voucher worth Rs 750 up for grabs.

All you have to do is comment below answering the following question- “What do you think of Tata Motors’ association with Lionel Messi?”

Waaw,.. nicely written,… Even I had gone through the same phase of life as yours,.. I had lost all the hope when I saw my own grandparents were bedridden and were suffering daily. We had money, and many doctors in our family, but still no medicine was able to cure them. I still remember their eyes. Instead of facing the situation, I use to escape from it. As my parents were busy with them, I had become stubborn and introvert. I started neglecting each and everything and it started to show in my studies. I wanted become doctor from childhood after seeing my uncles and aunts as doctors. But when I saw none could help my grandparents, I was shaken. Now also sometimes I repent for neglecting my studies. Else now I would have been a Doctor instead of an Engineer. Sorry for being so lengthy 🙂 Just remembered everything when I read your story.

I loved the Tata motors ad when I first saw it on the TV. I seriously had crush on him when I saw him first some years ago.  It’s really nice to see an Indian company having the great football legend as an ambassador. It makes huge impact on global market, as people who adore Messi, obviously will see brands he associated with.

Messi being the first player to win 3 European golden shoe award, and very well known face to the young generations I think tata motors has played safe by making him brand ambassador. As they know well that messi is well known all over the world so they can reach his followers too. Tata has never had any brand ambassador from last 70 years but making messi first brand ambassador of Tata motors is good marketing move to get back their position in market. Lets see if this succeeds or not. As of me I love messi he is god of football

Tata Motors’ association with Lionel Messi spells a significantly notable alliance that will steer the company towards favourable benefits. I always acknowledge Tata Motors as a distinctive name in Auto industry, which will not let the success ‘larger-than life’ elude from its fate now with a timeless guild with iconic figure Messi. I don’t see this union of Tata Motors as an aspirational effort for garnering some quick publicity and evoke specific reaction from myriad crowd with Celeb branding, but is rightly an embellished handshake for keeping up the pace to get to the pinnacle of success graph. To sum things up, I am joyous to see the brand and the star uniting for ‘One in a Million’ #madeofgreat power-packed drive ahead 🙂

Hi Melina,
First of all I would like to thank you & Indi blogger for coming up with such an awesome giveaway.
I saw the #madeofgreat video & found it very inspiring. I am not just satisfied but delighted by Tata Motor’s Association with Lionel Messi. What drives us from within is what makes us great. Driven by talent, roots of humbleness, excellence & determination, Lionel Messi is definitely #madeofgreat who has proved that the zest to win, a humble approach towards life & endless perseverance cannot stop us from reaching the zenith of success. There no be no better association as just like Messi, Tata Motors is driven by technology, performance & the road ahead.
Lionel’s association with Tata Motors is truly inspiring. Both of them symbolize excellence, trustworthy attitude, reliability, pioneering leadership, simple and driven by self-belief. Thus Lionel Messi is the most ideal person to represent Tata brand, nationally & internationally.﻿
Thank you for this opportunity 🙂
Would love to win this ❤

Hi Melina,
First of all I would like to thank you & Indi blogger for coming up with such an awesome giveaway.
I saw the #madeofgreat video & found it very inspiring. I am not just satisfied but delighted by Tata Motor’s Association with Lionel Messi. What drives us from within is what makes us great. Driven by talent, roots of humbleness, excellence & determination, Lionel Messi is definitely #madeofgreat who has proved that the zest to win, a humble approach towards life & endless perseverance cannot stop us from reaching the zenith of success. There no be no better association as just like Messi, Tata Motors is driven by technology, performance & the road ahead.
Lionel’s association with Tata Motors is truly inspiring. Both of them symbolize excellence, trustworthy attitude, reliability, pioneering leadership, simple and driven by self-belief. Thus Lionel Messi is the most ideal person to represent Tata brand, nationally & internationally.﻿
Thank you for this opportunity 🙂

Hey Melina …. I have been following your blog from quite a long…and your YouTube channel too… I’ll be happy if u r regular with videos too ..I know u posted about u r losing interest … Coming to this post its written nicely and I love football… I think association of Lionel messi with tata motors is a big step remembering the fact they never had any brand ambassador and for the first time they selected messi …reason behind it is clear that they want to connect with young people who are much related to football…. N who’s better than Messi when it comes to football ( I’m ronaldo fan though :p) . I’ve recently seen the advertising featuring him and I quite liked it… That campaign #madeofgreat is nice and inspiring too… I don’t wanna drag it too long..mso I’m ending it here on a note that this association may bring notice on the international platform and Tata motors achieve their goals..

Hi Melina
Loved your blog
Indeed a nicely written post. I wish you good luck for the contest
Here is my answer
The association of Tata Motors with Lionel Messi is that of two greats. Lionel Messi has been exceptionally talented who with his hard work, determination and sacrifices has got better and tougher in his chosen sport so is the Image, reputation and quality of TATA Motors that have transformed brilliant ideas into masterpieces of engineering and created a brand and products that we are so proud of as Indians. Lionel Messi has transformed his body and the mind body co-ordination into a masterpiece of precision and excellence it would not be wrong to say that Lionel Messi is the TATA Motors of sports where as TATA Motors is the Lionel Messi of vehicles both giants in their own spheres driven by the drive to excel and lead by example. So Lionel Messi is the best choice for becoming the brand Ambassador for TATA Motorsaaloke19@gmail.com

Your post defines #madeofgreat to the hilt. Goodluck for the contest
My answer is:
Authenticity, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the pillars of strength on which TATA have built a brand that has put India on the global map. It is a brand that has stood the test of time just like Lionel Messi who tackles opposition on the field with his skill,agility,strategy,brilliance and raw power to reach and score a goal so has been the track record of TATA motors who has become a brand leader and a global giant. These qualities make TATA Motors and Lionel Messi perfect partners who stand for the same set of values thus Lionel Messi is the perfect brand ambassador to represent TATA Motors.
Hope my best to be a winner here; do contact me for the prize at mahima2014j@gmail.com
fingers crossed

When it comes to impact and impacting millions of lives, Yes, we can see both Tata Motors and Lionel Messi being the pioneers here. While the very name Tata is enough to make us go back to all our history books where we have seen there hardly is a comparable name that has contributed so much to the society in such an ethical manner, the very name Messi conjures up images of a boy-man who has turned the world upside down with his talent, determination, discipline and never-give-up spirit. The compatibility between the values they both share is intense and that is the reason this partnership works perfectly.

With a concern for the society at large,everything that Tata has done has inspired us to dream big, conquer the world and pour all our energy back into the society to do good and inspire good. By facing his demons, Messi has done the same. He enjoys a God-like status in the world today because he dared to dream, achieved the sky and still hasn’t lost his humanity a bit. He is still a child at heart and he gives back with his multiple philanthropic activities just like Tata does!

Talk to any person in India, ask them about the companies they admire the most. Tata is right there at the top. This name is beyond bottomline, spreadsheets, return on investment and share price. It is equivalent to soul of India-soft, kind, diverse, dynamic, eternal. Just like that Messi has emerged as not just another football player but someone whose very life is an inspiration, whose personal struggles are a template for others to emulate and who has morphed into an eternal legend.

While it would take eons to write about what makes Tata Motors and Messi great, as their list of achievements is too long for us to even skim over, suffice to say that this partnership is for the ages. As they say, some things are made in heaven 🙂

Hi Melina 🙂 I am so glad to know you have finally achieved in becoming an IT Engineer as you always wanted. Thanks for sharing such an inspirational and touching story. I do remember Father Larry as a parish priest in Bandra. We had a few sessions together(I was in a part of the parish council before moving to California) but it was really heartbreaking to know about his death. I was not aware of this until I read your post. RIP Father Larry, A true human being.

Now For the giveaway,
I have grown up in India and Tata Motors is one the most trusted motor vehicle brand. I remember the very first car ever brought by father was TaTa Indica, we still use it and it holds a very special place in our hearts being our first car. The latest association with one of best football legend is a great deal by Tata Motors, it is something we Indians rarely come across especially when a high rated star is endorsing it. While the very name Tata is enough to make us go back to all our history books where we have seen there hardly is a comparable name that has contributed so much to the society in such an ethical manner, the very name Messi conjures up images of a boy-man who has turned the world upside down with his talent, determination, discipline and never-give-up spirit. The compatibility between the values they both share is intense and that is the reason this partnership works perfectibility, reliability, simplicity, as well as its commitment to innovation are the pillars of strength on which TATA have built a brand that has put India on the global map. It is a brand that has stood the test of time just like Lionel Messi who tackles opposition on the field with his skill,agility,strategy,brilliance and raw power to reach and score a goal so has been the track record of TATA motors who has become a brand leader and a global giant. These qualities make TATA Motors and Lionel Messi perfect partners who stand for the same set of values thus Lionel Messi is the perfect brand ambassador to represent TATA Motors.Tata Motors’ association with Lionel Messi spells a significantly notable alliance that will steer the company towards favourable benefits. I always acknowledge Tata Motors as a distinctive name in Auto industry, which will not let the success ‘larger-than life’ elude from its fate now with a timeless guild with iconic figure Messi. I don’t see this union of Tata Motors as an aspirational effort for garnering some quick publicity and evoke specific reaction from myriad crowd with Celeb branding, but is rightly an embellished handshake for keeping up the pace to get to the pinnacle of success graph. To sum things up, I am joyous to see the brand and the star uniting for ‘One in a Million’ #madeofgreat power-packed drive ahead :)Tata Motors’ association with Lionel Messi spells a significantly notable alliance that will steer the company towards favourable benefits. I always acknowledge Tata Motors as a distinctive name in Auto industry, which will not let the success ‘larger-than life’ elude from its fate now with a timeless guild with iconic figure Messi. I don’t see this union of Tata Motors as an aspirational effort for garnering some quick publicity and evoke specific reaction from myriad crowd with Celeb branding, but is rightly an embellished handshake for keeping up the pace to get to the pinnacle of success graph. To sum things up, I am joyous to see the brand and the star uniting for ‘One in a Million’ #madeofgreat power-packed drive ahead 🙂